from Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe,

Sharp and unassuming, virtually a media recluse at times, the former Bruins defenseman has helped reinvigorate a franchise that Thursday night will face the Maple Leafs — that team that once captivated so many St. Stephen souls — in Round 1 of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs.

“I can’t honestly say I was ever a Leafs fan,” said Sweeney, thinking back to his days at the edge of the St. Croix.

Sweeney’s subtle yet progressive overhaul of the franchise the last three years has centered mainly on two things: 1. his decision to replace coach Claude Julien with Bruce Cassidy in February 2017; and 2. a commitment this season to surround a highly talented core group (most of them sporting Cup rings from 2011) with a large, enthusiastic group of kids who have thrived in the Sweeney-Cassidy model of on-the-job training.

Amid the headlines and huzzahs of the Celtics’ high-profile trades and acquisitions last summer, the low-key Sweeney went a different way, resisting big free-agent spending and instead going with his kiddie cadre.

The 2018 Bruins, with their impressive 50-20-12 regular-season mark...

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